Improved tooth-bkush



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Letters Patent .No. 74,560, 'ddted'Fetruary 18, 1868.

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To WHoMIT MAY co'NoERN:

Beit known that I, THOMAS F. MAURY, ofWashington, in the county of Washington, and District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tooth-Brushes; and I hereby declare the follow ing to be a. full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference'being had to the accompanying drawings.

Upon examination of tooth-brushes, such as are now sold and used generally, it will be found that the ends of the trimmed bristles arejagged, andh'ave one or more sharp edges. The cutting or injuring of the gums by the use of such brushes is matterLo'f-daily occurrence, andthe consequent inconvenience andannoyance are universally felt; and, moreover, the ends of the bristlesare of such size as to be incapable of reaching' those parts between the teeth where brushing is most needed. i

My object is to remedy these evils, and to this end my invention'essentially consists of a'tooth-brush in `which the ends of the bristles are smoothedand polished substantially Iin the manner hereinafter specified.

In order to realize my invention, it 'isinecessary that the `endsof the bristles which compose the brush should be brought into frictional contact with some hard body, as, for-"instance, a grindstone of the quality of those lwhich usually`are attached to and accompany sewing-machines, or, if desired, al ne emery-wheel may-be used. In fact, any suitable material which, when iu frictional eontaot'with the brush, will produce the attrition requisite to grind and smooth or taper off the ends of the bristles, maybe employed.

Let it be supposed, for example, that au ordinary tooth-brush is to be prepared, and that a grindstone or wheel, capable of being rotated at the requisite speed vby any ordinary or suitable means, is employed for this purpose. After the stone or 'grinding-surface is ptinmotion, the brush, is applied to it, so that the ends of the bristles will be in contactnith the 'surface of the stone, and in this position it is pressed down upon the stone with the force necessary to insure'the requisite frictional contactbetween the two. In most cases it is only' necessary to grind the ends of the bristles in the direction of the lengthof the brush, but they may also'be ground in the other direction if desired, the brush in this 1oase beinglield'crosswise to the stone. A few momentswill suffice to reduce the rough and jagged ends, and sharp edges of the bristles, and to cause them to have asmooth and uniform surface throughout, tapering gradually towards the ends. When the brush has been subjected a sutlicient length of time to this grinding operation, of which, of course, the operator or workman must be the judge, the brhsh may be taken to another wheel, providedron its periphery with bristles, in other words, a rotary brush, by means of which the dust and grit which have entered the brush during the previous operation willbe removed. Moreover, by this grit or powder, and the rotary brush, the bristles will become perfectly polished and smooth in every part.

This form of the bristles, after undergoing this treatment, is shown in Figure 1, and more plainly in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings, which-represents a portion of the brush and bristles on an 'enlarged scale. It

will be seen that the ends ofthe bristles have the tapering formation which is essential to the object I have in view.

ItV will be understood, of course, that instead of using a rotary grinder or Polisher, a stone or other suit# able device, havingra flat surface, and a reciprocating or back-and-fo'rth motion, may vbe employed with equally good results, or the stone may be stationary, and the brush be rubbed upon it, itbeingimmaterial which of the two moves, so long'4 as the requisiteattrition is eli`ectcd.

In order to thus prepare tooth-brushes in which the ends of the bristles are cu`t,"so as to give the brush av serrated or indented surface, the surface of the grinding-tool must have a correspondingly serrated or indented formation. To this end a series of thin stones 'may be mounted upon a shaft if they are designed to rotate, or in a frame if they are to remain stationary, or to have only a reciprocating movement, in such manner as to present their edges tothe brush, the 'distance between them being graduated or regul or other suitable means, `s o as to conform to the indentations inthe brushes. The grinding-edges titin the indentations o f the brush, which is pressed down upon them, and the frictional contact between the tivo causes the ends of the bristles in the indentationsto be thoroughly ground and smoothed, as'before. After the brush has been subjected to this operation the ylonger bristles may be smoothed and polished by applying them to an ordinary stone, as above mentioned. The ends of the bristles'by this means are not only smoother-and polated by means of Washers,

ished, but have a tapering formation which enables them to penetrate theintervals Vbetween the teeth, and to cleanse parts ofthem which are not accessible to ordinary bristle-brushes, and an important advantage is thus obtained, which will be readily appreciated without further explanation. 'A Having now described my invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, s I

A tooth-brush, in which` the ends of the bristles of which the brush is-composed are ground or smoothed and polished, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein described.

In testimonylwhereof, I have signed my name to this specification before two subscribing witnesses.

' THOS. F. MAURY.

Witnesses:

l M. BAILEY, A. PoLLoK. 

